History of Corporal Punishment
There are divergent views on the issue of corporal punishment. Some deem it necessary to
punish offenders, while some call it against the basic value of humanity. It is not as if corporal
punishment is a thing of modern times; it has been used since ages. This write-up is an attempt to
trace the history of corporal punishment.
Corporal punishment has been a classic method of punishing offenders since ancient
civilizations. It has not just melted out on children but adults as well. Its history can be traced
back to the Middle Ages till the 19th Century, when it was handed out as a punishment for minor
crimes and unlawful acts. Flogging, a type of corporal punishment, where a person is whipped
with a rod or whip, was a common practice in the British army and navy. It was abolished from
the army and navy as a disciplinary action, in 1874. The last record of flogging in the British
prison was in 1962.
In 1866, a major case was brought under trial. A teacher had struck the child 15-20 times with a
whip. The parents of the child felt it was an unnecessary and brutal act on the teacher's part.
Although, the case was closed, it made people stand up and speak against this barbaric act.
In 1868, many parents in Beverly, Massachusetts wanted the schools to abolish this punishment.
The school committee came up with many excuses over the years to keep it as they believed
without it the children would become more rowdy.
In 1879, an unsuccessful attempt was made by the Cambridge schools to abolish it. In 1880, the
Cambridge school board found out that out of the 12,973 boys attending the all boy's grammar
school, 10,973 incidents were recorded.
It was forbidden from being used on girls and colored schools. It was believed that girls have a
different kind of mentality and flogging would scar their minds for life. White boys were
subjected to this cruelty as it was thought that it would make them manlier and the process would
pass down it to their children as a form of discipline.
Sweden was the first European nation to abolish corporal punishment. It was abolished in most
of Europe by the late 1800s. On 18th May 1870, New York's State Board of Education met for
the second time to abolish it. By 1877, it ended forever from the schools of New York, as many
schools started to believe that it had an adverse effect on the child.
It was not abolished from the state of Massachusetts for the next 70 years. The school authorities
believed that it was the only way to discipline children and make them more studious and
educated. Until the late 1970s, with formation of anti-corporal punishment groups,
Massachusetts finally declared this form of punishment as illegal.
Corporal Punishment in Homes
Corporal punishment given to children by parents in their homes is called domestic punishment.
It is generally referred to as 'spanking', 'whipping', 'smacking' as well as 'slapping'. It is one of the
most common ways of disciplining a child. A few parents argue, it helps children learn right
from wrong and scares them from repeating a mistake again in future. There are many countries
such as Sweden that has outlawed domestic punishment. In some counties, it has been restricted,
for example children within a certain age group can be spanked.
Canada allows spanking by parents or legal guardians only. Restrictions include the child is not
under 2 years of age and not over 12 years of age. Use of belts, paddles is strictly prohibited. In
UK, spanking is legal as long as it does not leave a mark on the body. Scotland has made it
illegal to use any kind of implements when trying to discipline a child. Spanking, whipping,
slapping or smacking by parents is considered legal in most Asian nations, African and United
States.
Use of Corporal Punishment in Schools
Many states in US have banned its use in schools. It is banned in 31 states and the District of
Columbia. However, in some states, school children misbehaving can be disciplined using this
punishment that does not involve 'holding a student or struggling with a student'.
Some states in the U.S. have banned it by law and some by regulation. It has been found that in
2006-2007 school year, 223,190 school children in the U.S. were subjected to physical
punishment. This shows an 18% drop since the early 1980s. This trend has been steadily
dropping in many states. However, there are many states which have educators and parents, still
using it as the only resort of punishment.
Name of State States Stand on Corporal
Punishment Used in Schools
Alabama Legal
Arizona Legal
Arkansas Legal
Alaska Illegal
California Illegal
Colorado Legal
Connecticut Illegal
Delaware Illegal
District of Columbia Illegal
Florida Legal
Georgia Legal
Hawaii Illegal
Idaho Legal
Illinois Illegal
Indiana Legal
Iowa Illegal
Kansas Legal
Kentucky Legal
Louisiana Legal
Maine Illegal
Maryland Illegal
Massachusetts Illegal
Michigan Illegal
Minnesota Illegal
Mississippi Legal
Missouri Legal
Montana Illegal
Nebraska Illegal
Nevada Illegal
New Hampshire Illegal
New Jersey Illegal
New Mexico Legal
New York Illegal
North Carolina Legal
North Dakota Illegal
Ohio Legal
Oklahoma Legal
Oregon Illegal
Pennsylvania Illegal
Rhode Island Illegal
South Carolina Legal
South Dakota Illegal
Tennessee Legal
Texas Legal
Utah Illegal
Vermont Illegal
Virginia Illegal
Washington Illegal
West Virginia Illegal
Wisconsin Illegal
Wyoming Illegal
Drawbacks of Excessive Use
It has been found that poor children, minorities, children with disabilities and boys are hit more
frequently. People who resort to it do not understand that it teaches the child who receives it and
the child who witnesses such acts, that violence is the answer to all problems. This increases
immoral behavior, anti-social behavior and increasing number of children resort to abusive
relationships in adulthood. Corporal behavior makes the child believe that physical aggression is
a handy tool to eliminate unwanted behavior within the society. Many sensitive children undergo
trauma, and damage their emotional and physical well-being. These children who may be
suffering from learning disabilities are further traumatized because of spanking and flogging by
their teachers. When children are subjected to it by their parents, it makes them feel left out and
not loved by their parents.
Children nowadays are witnessing more and more violence in their surroundings. Its excessive
use may make them accept violence as a part of their life. The main aim should be to stop to
aggressive and anti-social behavior in children. Thus, it should be used sparingly. 'Spare the rod
and Spoil the child' is an old adage. It is up to parents to decide whether it holds any significance
today or no.